The San Francisco calamity by earthquake and fire eBook

One of their number, Galung Gung, was previous to
1822 covered from top to bottom with a dense forest;
around it were populous villages. The mountain
was high; there was a slight hollow on its top—­a
basin-like valley, carpeted with the softest sward;
brooks rippled down the hillside through the forests,
and, joining their silvery streams, flowed on through
beautiful valleys into the distant sea. In the
month of July, 1822, there were signs of an approaching
disturbance; this tranquil peacefulness was at an
end; one of the rivers became muddy, and its waters
grew hot.

In October, without any warning, a most terrific eruption
occurred. A loud explosion was heard; the earth
shook, and immense columns of hot water, boiling mud
mixed with burning brimstone, ashes and stones, were
hurled upwards from the mountain top like a waterspout,
and with such wonderful force that large quantities
fell at a distance of forty miles. Every valley
near the mountain became filled with burning torrents;
the rivers, swollen with hot water and mud, overflowed
their banks, and swept away the escaping villagers;
and the bodies of cattle, wild beasts, and birds were
carried down the flooded stream.

ERUPTION OF GALUNG GUNG

A space of twenty-four miles between the mountain
and a river forty miles distant was covered to such
a depth with blue mud, that people were buried in
their houses, and not a trace of the numerous villages
and plantations was visible. The boiling mud and
cinders were cast forth with such violence from the
crater, that while many distant villages were utterly
destroyed and buried, others much nearer the volcano
were scarcely injured; and all this was done in five
short hours.

Four days afterwards a second eruption occurred more
violent than the first, and hot water and mud were
cast forth with masses of slag like the rock called
basalt some of which fell seven miles off. A violent
earthquake shook the whole district, and the top of
the mountain fell in, and so did one of its sides,
leaving a gaping chasm. Hills appeared where
there had been level land before, and the rivers changed
their courses, drowning in one night 2,000 people.
At some distance from the mountain a river runs through
a large town, and the first intimation the inhabitants
had of all this horrible destruction was the news that
the bodies of men and the carcases of stags, rhinoceroses,
tigers, and other animals, were rushing along to the
sea. No less than 114 villages were destroyed,
and above 4,000 persons were killed by this terrible
catastrophe.

Fifty years before this eruption, Mount Papandayang,
one of the highest burning mountains of Java, was
constantly throwing out steam and smoke, but as no
harm was done, the natives continued to live on its
sides. Suddenly this enormous mountain fell in,
and left a gap fifteen miles long and six broad.
Forty villages were destroyed, some being carried
down and others overwhelmed by mud and burning lava.
No less than 2,957 people perished, with vast numbers
of cattle; moreover, most of the coffee plantations
in the neighboring districts were destroyed.